This just happened. Explosion in Lebanon

[Kwak]

What caused it?
What sparked the explosion is still unknown.

But Lebanon's Interior Minister said the blast was a store of about 2,750 tonnes of seized ammonium nitrate blowing up.

It had been in storage since 2014, but the details about why it was seized and where it came from are unclear.

A massive stockpile of ammonium nitrate blew up in the Beirut explosion. Here's what else we know

Lebanon's Prime Minister says about 2,750 tonnes of the highly explosive material was stored in a "dangerous warehouse".

www.abc.net.au

The texas 2013 fertiliser explosion was 270 tonnes.

Tianjin 2015 800 tonnes.

 

[Agema]

Oh, the poor Lebanese. So it is being said, 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate went up, which may have been lying around for years. This has got to be one of the worst peacetime explosions ever. Minimum 100 dead (I suspect that's going to go up a lot) and 4000 injured, and to make it worse one of the major hospitals was wrecked.

Also, Lebanon is experiencing food shortages; that's the port its main cereal staple, wheat, comes through. The explosion has apparently blown up about 90% of its wheat stores.

 

[Revnak]

Even more terrible news. This is just... ugh. With the economic collapse going on too, and rising tensions in the area, the best outcome seems like it’s gonna be them becoming somebody’s puppet state and them bailing them out. I don’t even wanna make some 2020 joke, this is just sad.

 

[Kwak]

Is Israel going to offer help?

 

[Revnak]

Is Israel going to offer help?

I certainly hope not.

 

[Fieldy409]

Aftermath of the blast in the port of Beirut. - Latest News

6,844 points • 297 comments

9gag.com

Like fuck me man, look at the devestation, they've got a new fucking COASTLINE from this! The grain silo is gone, the main port is fucked and everythings destroyed.With all the infrastructure torn up can they even get to people who need help with sustenance, medical care and shelter?

This and other incidents make it clear: the world needs to take a long hard look at how it handles Ammonium Nitrate.

 

[tstorm823]

Is Israel going to offer help?

Probably somewhere close to everyone is going to offer help. While there were several levels of people who did stupid and/or evil things to get to this point, it's basically a natural disaster in scope, and countries can rally for that.

 

[gorfias]

My Christian Lebanese friend is out for blood. No talk of this being an accident. Happily, he reports everyone in his family is unhurt but shaken.

 

[Fieldy409]

My Christian Lebanese friend is out for blood. No talk of this being an accident. Happily, he reports everyone in his family is unhurt but shaken.

Even as an accident there are people to be held responsible in government that knew the ammonium nitrate was sitting there and never did anything with such powerful explosive in the heart of their capital...

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Oh, the poor Lebanese. So it is being said, 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate went up, which may have been lying around for years. This has got to be one of the worst peacetime explosions ever. Minimum 100 dead (I suspect that's going to go up a lot) and 4000 injured, and to make it worse one of the major hospitals was wrecked.

Also, Lebanon is experiencing food shortages; that's the port its main cereal staple, wheat, comes through. The explosion has apparently blown up about 90% of its wheat stores.

What even tops it that wasn't a malicious attack?

 

[gorfias]

Even as an accident there are people to be held responsible in government that knew the ammonium nitrate was sitting there and never did anything with such powerful explosive in the heart of their capital...

Just read this: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/large-explosion-rocks-port-area-beirut-cause-unclear-n1235767

I think you nailed it: the PM is also out for blood stating that someone is responsible for not safeguarding these dangerous materials.

I think something like this was used in the Oklahoma bombing, making these materials controlled, though I don't know to what extent as they have practical uses, in, I think, farming. In which case, why weren't these being used rather than just stored... reviewing. EDIT: came up with this when searching for Ammonia Nitrate

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, Ammonium Nitrate is commonly used as an explosive (or part of one) as it's common, it has important legitimate uses, and, IIRC, it's not that difficult to make yourself.

 

[Agema]

What even tops it that wasn't a malicious attack?

Well:
1) Accidental warehouse fire
2) Intentional fire, but accidental ammonium nitrate explosion
3) Intentional ammonium nitrate explosion

I can't see major players (states, extremist groups) doing (3) because I can't see what the benefits would be, especially compared to the reputation cost of being exposed. The port of Beirut isn't high value, or with symbolic significance, and it hurts all communities of Lebanon. Also, I'd expect them just blow up the nitrate, not start a fire and hope it spread.

Realistically, some variant of accidental warehouse/facility fire (they're hardly rare occurrences) along the lines of (1) and (2) seems the most plausible. China had a massive one a few years back. The UK and US have had them recently too, although usually far less serious because we tend to keep really dangerous stuff away from heavily populated areas.

I think something like this was used in the Oklahoma bombing, making these materials controlled, though I don't know to what extent as they have practical uses, in, I think, farming. In which case, why weren't these being used rather than just stored... reviewing.

The material could potentially have got "stuck", like if there were some sort of legal challenge, non-payment, the distributor collapsed, etc. and left until a resolution found. If it were some sort of deliberate reserve and held in the middle of a city, someone really does need a colossal bollocking.

 

[Aegix Drakan]

Hoooooooooh, that's terrifying. My heart goes out to everyone in that city.

Like...the buildings next to the explosion just fucking instantly MELT. 0_0

How the hell was there THAT MUCH ammonium nitrate sitting in a populated city center?!

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Well:
1) Accidental warehouse fire
2) Intentional fire, but accidental ammonium nitrate explosion
3) Intentional ammonium nitrate explosion

I can't see major players (states, extremist groups) doing (3) because I can't see what the benefits would be, especially compared to the reputation cost of being exposed. The port of Beirut isn't high value, or with symbolic significance, and it hurts all communities of Lebanon. Also, I'd expect them just blow up the nitrate, not start a fire and hope it spread.

Realistically, some variant of accidental warehouse/facility fire (they're hardly rare occurrences) along the lines of (1) and (2) seems the most plausible. China had a massive one a few years back. The UK and US have had them recently too, although usually far less serious because we tend to keep really dangerous stuff away from heavily populated areas.



The material could potentially have got "stuck", like if there were some sort of legal challenge, non-payment, the distributor collapsed, etc. and left until a resolution found. If it were some sort of deliberate reserve and held in the middle of a city, someone really does need a colossal bollocking.

Oh no, what I meant was, what incidents involving explosives top this that were in peace time and not done by a terrorist group or something similar.

Hoooooooooh, that's terrifying. My heart goes out to everyone in that city.

Like...the buildings next to the explosion just fucking instantly MELT. 0_0

How the hell was there THAT MUCH ammonium nitrate sitting in a populated city center?!

Yet, as is per usual, life shows irony in that the white building right next to the explosion still stands (If horribly disfigured).

 

[Fieldy409]

Before/After Beirut Harbor - WTF

19,987 points • 626 comments

9gag.com

A gif showing before and after for some perspective on how destructive this was.

 

[MrCalavera]

Snip

Yes, ammonium nitrate is commonly used both as an explosive and fertilizer. Probably moreso the latter.
There were multiple cases of it being used in acts of terrorism(iirc Breivik used it in his attacks), and being mishandled, leading to industrial disasters.

I mentioned the Halifax Explosion previously, but it was a fumble on my part(those were ammo ships).
What i should be thinking about was Texas City Disaster which was also caused by ammonium nitrate explosion.

Someone fucked up big time, but it wasn't first time something like that happened, and it might not be the last, unless a replacement fertilizer is found.

In which case, why weren't these being used rather than just stored...

How fast, do you think, can over 2,5 thousand tons of fertilizer be used up?

 

[Fieldy409]

Death Toll Rises In Beirut Blast Linked To Seized Russian-Owned Ship

The death toll from a massive explosion that ripped across Beirut has climbed to 137 as investigators searched the wreckage of the port of the Lebanese capital for clues to the cause of the blast.

www.rferl.org

So it looks like the government seized all this ammonium nitrate from a boat that sunk and just left it there stored in the port since 2014.

 

[Aegix Drakan]

So it looks like the government seized all this ammonium nitrate from a boat that sunk and just left it there stored in the port since 2014.

....Oh my god, this is aiming to be one of the biggest "OOF"s in a year full of them. How did they just keep it stored there, in a populated city center for 6 years when it's a KNOWN EXPLOSIVE?!

Someone's head is gonna roll for this.

Only way this could be dumber is if they'd gone "This is wet, we should dry it out with fire". ;>_>

 

[Thaluikhain]

Only way this could be dumber is if they'd gone "This is wet, we should dry it out with fire". ;>_>

As an aside, the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was supposed to be the first step in a revolution. After it didn't happen, the conspirators ended up with little or no support, but some gunpowder that had gotten rained on, and did indeed try drying it out in front of an open fire.

No fatalities, some injuries, including one person that was blinded.